


Safety Net

by purplenighttime



Series: long way home [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Post-TWS, Support Group, bucky still has a protective instinct
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 11:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1508522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplenighttime/pseuds/purplenighttime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's met a lot of people through the support group, some of whom have become good friends. But he can honestly say he never thought he'd meet this particular person. </p>
<p>Well, they always say that you'll find what you're looking for in the place you least expect. </p>
<p>(or the one in which Bucky's got Steve's back, even if he's not yet ready to be his best friend again)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safety Net

Sam’s starting the meeting when someone walks in.

The man is wearing jeans and a worn leather jacket, and a baseball cap that keeps his face in shadow. Hands deep in his pockets, he looks around quickly before sitting in the chair closest to the door.

Sam’s used to latecomers. A lot of people don’t want to mingle before the meeting, and it’s rare that they actually say anything for the first few meetings. This guy obviously doesn’t want to be noticed, and even though he keeps his hat on and his hands in his pockets, he doesn’t seem to be a threat. 

After he opens the meeting up for others to share their stories, he finds himself looking at the newcomer. The man is clearly ex-military, and seems slightly on edge. The way he’s sitting means that he’ll see anyone who comes in, and the back of his chair is pushed up against the wall so no one can take him by surprise.

Sam’s seen the man’s stance before, on guys who’d just finished their tour and couldn’t shake the feeling of ever-present danger.

In the front row, someone starts talking about the DC fiasco and Sam turns to look at her; she’s his age, and he recognizes her from the VA down there.

“… I guess you never know, do you? I thought I was doing well, but then, being in DC – it was like I was back there again,” she says, and others murmur agreement. 

A sudden movement catches Sam’s eye, and when he looks up, the new guy is gone.

* * *

They end up staying in Manhattan for longer than expected, which suits Sam just fine. He likes the routine of the biweekly meetings, three of which go by before the new guy shows up again.  This time, he sits closer to the front of the room, although he still keeps his baseball cap on and his hands in his pockets.

He introduces himself as James at the beginning of the meeting, although he doesn’t say anything else for the rest of the hour.

As soon as people start to pull their things together, the guy ducks out the door and leaves without talking to anyone or looking at any of the informational pamphlets.

It isn’t much, but at least it’s progress.  

* * *

Three weeks after they arrive in New York, some idiot shows up on the news because he thought it would be a good idea to play with some of the alien tech from the Battle of New York. He and Steve suit up and head over to Hoboken before the guy gets himself or someone else killed.

They follow his trail – which is mostly exploded cars and ripped-up sidewalks – to an intersection right outside a bank. He’s obviously planning to use his new toy to get some cash, but Steve stops him with a well-placed throw of his shield.

People are running around, freaking out, and somehow the guy manages to grab a man off the sidewalk.

“Let me go or he dies,” the guy yells, waving the alien gun around like it’s some kind of flag.

“You don’t want to do that,” Steve says.

Sam, who’s on the roof of the building across from the guy, is about to swoop down behind the guy when he drops in a shower of red. The hostage stumbles away, too stunned to say anything, and Sam scans the rooftops around him. They hadn’t had time to get any kind of sniper support, but someone had obviously taken the guy out.

It was a good shot, too, right to the guy’s shoulder. By the time Sam clears the rest of the rooftops, the cops are already there, cuffing the man’s hands behind his back and shoving him into a squad car.  

He lands next to Steve, who is also looking upward.

“Clint’s out of town,” Steve says. “There’s only one other guy who I know who would have been stupid enough to take that kind of shot."

"Or brave enough," he amends after a moment.

* * *

Two days later, Sam is finishing up another meeting when the guy walks in. He stands at the door, waiting for the room to empty out as Sam pulls together the pamphlets he’s spread out at the front of the room.

“Hey, man, can I get you anything?” Sam asks once he’s packed everything up. He tries to keep his voice nonthreatening. If the guy is who Sam thinks he is, the last thing he wants is to freak him out. The man turns around, shoving his hands into his pockets, but not before Sam catches a glimpse of silver on his left hand.

The direct approach seems like his best option here, and it’s not like there’s anyone else in the room that’ll hear. “James Barnes, right?” he asks.

A bitter smile twists the man’s mouth for a moment as he holds out his hand. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

Sam shakes it, smiling. “Sam Wilson.”

Barnes nods. “You’re the guy with the wings.”

Sam takes a minute to check Barnes out, now that he’s close enough to see if he’s carrying anything. It doesn’t seem like he’s got a holster anywhere, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a weapon concealed somewhere on him. Up close, Sam can see his expression is unsure, though controlled.

“Looks like you’re doing better,” Sam says.

“More or less. Sometimes I do worse.” Barnes shoves his hands deeper into his pockets, glancing around the empty room.

Sam follows his gaze to the open window, where a pigeon has landed on the sill.

“I’ve been – I know Steve’s looking for me,” he says. “But I can’t face him, not yet.”

“I’ll pass on the message,” Sam offers. “But I don’t know if I can get him to stop looking.”

Barnes actually smiles at that, obviously remembering something.

“He never did know when to stop getting into shit,” he says. It sounds like a joke, but Sam notices the worry in his eyes.

“You seem to still be helping him out, though,” Sam points out, remembering Hoboken.

“Yeah, well, I don’t really remember that far back yet, but it’s kind of an instinct,” James says. It sounds like more of a question than a response.

Barnes takes his right hand out of his pocket and rubs his left arm, and he looks so lost that Sam feels a sudden surge of sympathy for the kid. He’s wearing the same clothes as the last two times Sam saw him, and Sam can’t help but wonder where he’s been living.

“You need a place to stay tonight?” he asks.

James shakes his head. “I’m all right.”

He pulls a pamphlet from his bag and writes his number on the back. “Listen, if you ever need an ear, or if you do decide you want to talk to Steve, give me a call.”  

Barnes takes the paper, folding it in half and putting it in his pocket. “Thanks.”

“Sure, no problem,” Sam says as Barnes turns to go. He stops at the door.

“Can you do me a favor?” he asks. “Make sure Steve doesn’t do anything too stupid?”

Sam nods. “He’s Captain America, though. I have a feeling I might need your help.” 

 


End file.
